The present invention is directed to a leg conditioner for use by a person performing a leg split type exercise with the legs spread apart and the body in a position above the legs.
Leg exercises of this type are performed by athletes and others for warm-up before an athletic event or for conditioning to improve leg flexibility and strength. For example, dancers may perform such leg exercises to prepare themselves for the full or nearly full leg split feats which they must perform on the dance floor or in mid air during jumps in dance routines. Karate training may also involve this type of leg exercise.
In the past leg split exercises have typically been performed by a person, unaided, standing on a floor or playing field and extending one leg forward and the other backward until the upper body is lowered at least partially toward the playing field or floor to stretch the muscles, tendons and ligaments in the legs. A backward and forward rocking motion of the upper body is used to alternately increase and relieve the pressures on the legs. As the legs are pushed out further forwardly and backwardly from the body, the legs and body approach the playing field or floor in a full or nearly full leg split exercise position.
While these leg exercises are helpful in warming up and conditioning the legs to improve leg flexibility and strength, there are several problems associated with performing the exercises. Namely, as the feet are moved further and further outward from the body it becomes more difficult for a person to maintain balance and keep the body upright, that is above the legs, during the exercise. Maintaining balance becomes even more difficult with the execution of a rocking motion for relieving and increasing the stresses experienced by the legs during the exercise. Loss of balance and falling out of position during the exercise is problematical not only because it interrupts the exercise but also because it can result in an injury due to the fall or due to a sudden strain caused by the loss of balance. The time required for leg conditioning in this manner can be considerable because of the interruptions from loss of balance and falling and because of the limited stresses experienced by the legs during the exercise.
An object of the present invention is to provide a leg exercising device which can be used by a person performing a leg split type exercise with the legs spread apart and the body in a position above the legs so as to avoid the aforementioned disadvantages associated with this type of exercise. More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide a leg conditioner for use by a person performing a leg split type exercise which permits the person to safely perform the exercise without loss of balance and possible injury therefrom.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a leg conditioner for use by a person performing a leg split type exercise which enables the person to more efficiently perform a rocking motion during the exercise to relieve stresses experienced in the legs.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a leg conditioner for use by a person performing a leg split type exercise with the legs apart and the body in an upright position which more efficiently strengthens the legs and improves the flexibility thereof during the exercise as compared with the known leg exercise referred to above.
These and other objects of the invention are attained by providing a leg conditioner for use by a person performing a leg split type exercise with the legs spread apart and the body in a position above the legs comprising a frame, a pair of foot braces, means mounting the foot braces on the frame so that relative movement between the foot braces can be effected by a person performing the exercise with the feet on the respective foot braces, and handle means arranged on the frame between the foot braces for the person to grip when performing the leg exercise.
In a disclosed preferred form of the invention the leg conditioner frame is elongated and the foot braces are mounted on the frame for movement toward and away from one another in a direction along the length of the frame. Further, means are provided for resiliently biasing the foot braces against movement away from one another in order to increase the stresses on the legs required to move the feet apart during the exercise. The means mounting the foot braces on the frame permits the foot braces to be moved away from one another with a person's feet thereon such that the person can assume a full or nearly full leg split exercising position. The handle means comprises a pair of handles arranged in spaced relationship on opposite sides of a line extending between the foot braces to allow a person to grip the handles during the exercise without interfering with the attainment of a full split position on the frame of the leg conditioner. By gripping the handles the person performing the exercise can safely maintain balance and at the same time perform a rapid forward and backward rocking motion to alternately increase and relieve pressures on the legs.
According to one disclosed embodiment of the invention, the means mounting the foot braces on the frame of the leg conditioner includes wheels attached to the foot braces. The wheels cooperate with guides provided on the frame for moving the foot braces on the frame. In another embodiment, the means mounting the foot braces on the frame for movement includes an elongated slot provided in the frame within which the foot rests are slidably mounted.
Resilient biasing of the foot braces against movement away from one another is accomplished according to one embodiment of the invention by providing a pair of springs which respectively bias the foot braces against movement away from one another. In another form of the invention a resilient member is provided which extends between and is connected to the foot braces to bias the foot rests against movement away from one another.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, two embodiments in accordance with the present invention.